20 months

Cal's such a love these days! He's talking a ton- finally says "please" and "thank you", snuggles on demand, and knows exactly what to say and/or do to get us all busting up laughing!

A family favorite from the month has been trying to get him to say "I love you." He'll copy us and say, "I... love... u..." and then with a sneaky smile on his face he'll throw his arm up in the air and yell, "Cougars!"

Spencer has trained him well.

The girls were also big instigators of it. They made BYU signs to post around the house so that Cal would say it more. For about a week Cal would walk around the house cheering, "B...Y...U.... Cougars!"

The hardest thing we're still dealing with is his separation anxiety. He always wants to be with me, and despises nursery! I've heard he's made some improvements, but pretty sure we've got a long road ahead of us. Cal also has sharing issues. I had to watch one of his little buddies the other day (who's 3 months younger) and Cal kept freaking out when his friend would touch his toys or if I'd hold or get close to the other boy. It was exhausting and I was getting pretty annoyed at how jealous Calvin was being.

Cal sure does love his Mama though. He currently loves saying "No" to everything we ask:
"Cal, do you want to go outside?"
"No!"
"Do you want a cookie?"
"No!"
Do you want to go read books?"
"No!"
"Do you love Madi?"
"No!" (said with a silly smile and cute laugh once we get into asking about family members)
"Do you love Elle?"
"No!"
"Do you love Daddy?"
"No!"
But then when Spencer or the girls will ask, "Calvin, do you love Mommy?" He'll never say no! He just gets quiet and does a little giggle. He knows he can't say no to that one, even if he is just joking around.

Sure love my sweet little mama's boy!!

Country of Origin

As part of Madi's social science curriculum, they did a unit on cultural diversity. Today they had their culminating activity - a Thanksgiving program celebrating each child's country of origin. The kids were to learn about their country of origin, draw the flag, and come up with an interesting fact about it. Madi did her research, and with the help of her dad, came up with a great fact. Madi's line was "My name is Madi Jenkins. My country of Origin is Wales. One interesting thing I learned about Wales is that it is known as the land of song. Some of the best singers and choirs are from Wales."

She also had the closing line, "Thank you for coming to our performance! We hope you enjoyed it!"

Then they all got to enjoy foods from all the different lands. We made Ann Romney's Welsh Skillet Cakes to share.

Love how Elle's eyeing all the yummy treats! It was quite the feast!

 Madi with the Wales flag:

Take another look at that amazing flag that Spencer free handed!! He's got some serious talent! Then Madi traced his outline with a black sharpie and colored it all in.

Madi was super excited to have daddy there!! Spence surprised us last night and came home early, His trial was continued until another date.

And what a treat to have Boppi join us!!

Feeling thankful

Last Thursday was our ward RS holiday dinner. It was a wonderful night with a great program. One of my dearest friends (and also my 1st counselor in Primary) was the speaker. Her message was perfect and just what I needed to get off on the right foot this holiday season.

I came home feeling funny, immediately regretting eating the pumpkin roll dessert when I was already stuffed from dinner. I went to bed sick to my stomach and woke up several times throughout the night. Finally at 4am I ran to the bathroom and threw up.

Somehow I managed to get up an hour and a half later, run Madi to school, take Elle and Cal over to the park by the school to play while we watched Madi at PE, and then walk home (my energy was shot by that point - running home wasn't in the cards). I slept off and on the rest of the morning/afternoon while Calvin and Elle "doctored" me, watched a couple shows, read books, and played some games. How grateful I am for kids who can entertain themselves. Calvin was as sweet as ever. He'd come lay next me and snuggle, always checking to see how I was doing. I love my little mama's boy!

I felt so worthless. I'd layed on the couch and thought about the things I should be doing - like cleaning up the kitchen, folding the clothes, finishing my ironing, playing with my kids, etc. I went to bed super early Friday night.

Saturday morning at 4am Madi woke up not feeling good (aside from being a little tired, I was feeling great). She went the bathroom while I grabbed our throw-up bowl. Then I tucked her into bed in the guest room. A few minutes later she was calling for me again. I'd check on her, reassure that she was going to be ok, then go back to bed. After my 5th time out of bed, I finally got into bed next to her. She was totally shivering and requested to take a bath. I filled up the tub and then went back to bed. Now, I should probably mention here how Madi is super dramatic when she's sick. Crying, moaning, telling me over and over how this is "the worst day ever!" Finally she threw up! Hallelujah!

By the time I got her back into bed, I couldn't sleep. I lay in bed until there was enough light outside for me to go on a run.

After a day of being completely knocked out, all I could think about was how grateful I am - for everything! For a strong healthy body, for having the energy to vacuum, for dishes to wash, for clothes to fold, for kids to snuggle, for a nice home to live in, for beds to sleep in, blankets to keep us warm . . . all while Madi complained about how awful she was feeling and how it was such a terrible day. I had to remind her at one point that this is why our Heavenly Father gives us opposition in all things - sickness so we can appreciate when we're healthy, pain so we can feel joy, sadness so our happiness is that much greater!

But truthfully, this is how she spent most of her day:

Thankfully, her stomach bug was just as short lived as mine was. Sunday she was up happy and feeling much better.

The Friend magazine came last week and I loved the "Gratitude Tree" idea. So that day it came, the kids and I made our own tree. I used brown paper bags to make the trunk while the girls traced and cut out leaves. We have a "thankful box" that we always do during the month of November, but I'm liking this gratitude tree a lot better! Pretty sure it's going to become a new tradition! I like that we can read our "leaves" each time we walk by, and be reminded of how very blessed we are.

This was taken right after making our tree, so the leaves are sparse. It's filling in quite nicely though (I'll take a better picture of it on Thanksgiving)!

As I was looking through my random iphone pictures, I was reminded of how crazy blessed I am. Wanted to share some of my blessings. . .

* I'm thankful for 3 beautiful kids who love each other!

While watching a "scary" part in Sophia the First, Madi and Elle grabbed each other to help calm their fears. So glad I was there to snap a picture!

I got out of the shower and found Elle reading to Madi (who'd fallen asleep). 

How Elle entertains Cal every morning:

Making sure Madi was ok:

*I'm thankful for a good dentist who we know and trust (Dr. Czubiak not pictured, but his hygienists are pretty good too)!

*I'm thankful for daddy daughter bonding at Home Depot. . .

 . . . and for free monthly crafts!

* I'm thankful for an awesome library with lots of fun activities for the kids - every Monday and Wednesday they have an area full of dogs you can read to.

They both take a turn with each dog - sometimes we're there much longer than I'd like to be!

* I'm thankful for creative kids - Madi's paper doll (with changeable clothes)! 

* I'm thankful for sponge rollers that help make Madi's long hair bouncy and gorgeous (trying to talk Elle into wearing rollers)! 

* I'm thankful for bike helmets to keep my kids safe! Pretty thankful for our bikes too - makes getting to the park and school a lot faster!

* Helmets are pretty helpful with keeping my 19 month old entertained too! I'm also grateful for an awesome jogging stroller which helps me get a little more exercise. And I'm extremely grateful for my 2 buddies that I get to spend every morning with (not looking forward to Elle starting kindergarten next year - but I am grateful for the great schools my girls get to go to).

*I'm thankful for Costco- for their awesome return policy, and for good treats that keep my kids entertained while I shop!

* I'm thankful for the Flowbee - a quick, no cost, mess free way of cutting hair! 

* I'm grateful for cameras - to capture all the moments! And for suckers to use for bribery!

* I'm thankful for all the awesome parks we have here in Camarillo and for the energy they help our children burn!

* I'm thankful for headbands that keep Elle's hair out of her face, and for that sweet smile of hers!

I am so very very blessed - this is obviously just a dent in the list. I could go on and on, but I'll stop for now cause I'm also grateful when I get a good nights rest, making me a happier mom in the mornings!

Oh, and one last thing - I am so very thankful for a husband who works hard so that I can stay at home with our kids. Spencer's been gone since Sunday and will be in trial up til Thanksgiving. I know it's hard for him to be away from us for so long. And oh how we miss him! 

Primary Program weekend

The primary program is now over. It was a whirlwind of a weekend and I know if I don't write it down, I'm not going to remember anything. Surprisingly, I wasn't super stressed going into the weekend. We have some pretty incredible kids in our primary who are amazing little missionaries! They all had their parts memorized, were practicing the songs on their own at home, and invited their teachers, friends, neighbors, and almost every primary kid at Madi's school gave an invite to their principle (36 of our primary kids go to her school)! It was awesome hearing about all their missionary efforts, and I loved seeing the teachers at school with invites in hand when I'd go to pick up or drop off!

On Saturday, Spencer and I were able to go to the temple in the morning (BIG thanks to Mom and Dad Jenkins for watching the kids), and out to a movie (Gravity - my first 3D experience) in the evening. It was nice to have a relaxing day especially since Sunday was so busy.

My Sunday was packed from 9:45am til 7:30pm when I finally got home for the day! From ward council, reserving seats in the chapel, a special prayer meeting with all the primary kids, greeting visitors, sitting in the back overflow at the start of sacrament with ALL the primary kids (we all walked up together singing "I am a Child of God"), our program, doing the entire sharing/singing time 2nd and 3rd hour, clean up afterwards, meeting with young women about taking over 3rd hour next Sunday (for our visiting teaching conference in RS), dinner at mom and dad's, then stake choir practice for Madi and I! I was EXHAUSTED by the time I got home. Spencer and I were in bed by 8:30pm!

The program went well, probably better than I originally thought it went (especially since last minute my 1st counselor had to fill in as the pianist, and we had our Valiant 11 teacher leading the music - since we're still in transition between choristers). It was nice to lay in bed at the end of the day and hear Spencer (who's always 100% truthful with me- one of the many things I love about him) tell me how great the program really was. I appreciated all the kind words at church, but I always look forward to hearing Spencer's honest opinion.

My 2nd counselor emailed me a few pics from the sharing/singing time I did for our "after the program" celebration. We played the "Boppin' Pop" game with the help of some fun dads (and even got a grandpa up there in the Junior primary). Then I gave the kids tootsie pops with a note attached that said, "Thanks for making our Primary Program POP!"

Madi and her buddy Raegan doing the "boppin" in junior primary:

After the program everyone kept commenting about how great I must feel- like a huge weight had just been taken off my shoulders. But sadly, I don't feel a huge relief. All I can think about is how much there is to do before the end of the year - getting teachers and a chorister called (not being fully staffed has been really hard), planning the Christmas music, having only 3 weeks to teach the songs, reorganizing all the classes, and planning for the new year. Primary sure keeps me busy these days!

Weekend with Papa

We sure loved having Papa visit over Halloween weekend. That first night Papa arrived, the girls asked me several times if he would still be here in the morning. Then every night after they'd ask the same question. They were so worried that he was going to have to leave and the fun was gonna end. This first picture was taken right before Papa had to head home - hence Elle's sad face. 

No one wanted to leave Papa's side all weekend! He'd go out to his car to make a work call and within a minute or two, his presence was missed. I know a couple times Madi went out and just sat in the car with him. Then she'd offer to sing to him (practicing for her upcoming Christmas program solo) several times before leaving! 

On Saturday we hit up the monthly craft project at Home Depot. The girls had a great time and were loving the one-on-one time with Papa and Daddy.

My dad is so great with our kids. I'm truly grateful for the special relationship that Madi, Elle and Cal each share with him. But as much as my dad loves his grandkids, I love how aware he is of me and of things that might be stressing me out. Every single visit he finds something to fix and something to help make my life easier. This trip he heard me talking about my frustration with our bike and stroller tires always being low or flat. So he went out and bought me a really cool pump that has a gauge on it so I can check the tire pressure of the stroller and bikes by myself and fill them up as needed! Might sound like such a little thing, but it was a big deal for me! Then he fixed a loose toilet paper holder and a broken dresser drawer (both things Spencer and I never would have gotten around to). To top it off, Dad heard Spencer and I arguing about laundry and how one of Spencer's pet peeve's is when I hang all our wet clothes in the doorways of every room. So dad took Spence with him to Home Depot and got this cool metal rod and fastened it out in the garage across from our washer and dryer. Again, not too hard of a thing, but made a huge difference!! It's made doing laundry so much easier! Oh, and he also got me a step stool - just cause he thinks of everything! Thanks dad for always taking such great care of me!

Halloween 2013

Halloween seemed to last all month this year (the ward trunk or treat on the 18th totally threw me off). But Halloween day was pretty action packed as well. The day started with dropping off Madi at school and staying for her school parade.

Had to grab a picture of this cute little witch as she busily unpacked her backpack.

Pausing in the parade for a picture. . .

The only pic I have of Cal - who insisted on wearing his fireman hat, but had it on backwards and looks more like a construction worker in my opinion.

Madi's class:

I couldn't come and help at Madi's classroom party because it was right in the middle of Cal's nap time. So I was especially thankful to my friend who sent me this picture: 

After Madi's parade, Elle came home super anxious to get to school! She refused to wear the gloves, neck, and hair piece that went with the Cinderella dress, but she did let me do her hair in a bun - so I was happy!

I dropped Elle off at school at noon, then came back with Cal and Madi for her class party at 2:15. I love how happy Elle was to have her brother and sister there. As soon as we walked in the door, Elle stood up and gave Madi a huge hug. The look on Elle's face just says it all:

She was so thrilled about having Madi sitting right there beside her that I don't think she participated in much of the singing. Nothing makes me happier than sibling love, so no complaints here.

Elle's class:

Elle refused to smile for any pictures I wanted to take, but Madi is always up for it!

We love Ms. Barbara!!

After the class celebrations, we had a little down time at home before getting ready for trick-or-treating. 

Madi in her second costume: Mary Poppins (with a yellow umbrella and black running shoes?!)

The kids weren't being very cooperative with pictures and I was regretting I didn't try sooner. I never did get a good pic with all 3 kids. A fuzzy one will have to do.

I borrowed this Tigger costume from a friend. Cal loves lions and tigers, so it kinda worked out perfectly. He thought he was a tiger and would growl on cue. 

Grandpa Al and Papa were both bachelors this Halloween, so we were lucky to have them join us. We also met up with the kids friends, Lainey and Josh, who were with their dad, and both grandpas.  It was fun having a big entourage that followed us from house to house!

It's always a treat to have Grandpa Al around, but since we get to seen him on a pretty regular basis, the excitement was focused on the surprise of Papa being with us. Madi would run and give Papa a big hug after every house. It was really sweet.

Cal lasted about 40 minutes before Spencer and his dad headed back to put him to bed and man the candy bowl. My dad and I took the girls around for probably another 40 minutes. I'm totally a pusher when it comes to Halloween. I want them to run faster, go farther, and get more! I'm a kid at heart when it comes to this kind of stuff. People are giving away free candy and you're gonna give up and head home?! Heck no! But once Elle checked out, we were done. The girls came home and dumped all their candy all over the kitchen table. They're not in the sorting and trading stage yet (hopefully that will come next year). Instead they just looked at all of it and tried to decide what 2 pieces of candy they should eat (ya, I'm a mean mom and set limits like that), which really became 4 pieces I think.

Happy Halloween! 

More to come about our Halloween weekend spent with Papa!